Voting machine



Feb. 13, 1940. A, N, GUSTAVSON VOTING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1 937 Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE Alvin N. Gustavson, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to Automatic Voting Machine Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application June 5, 1937, Serial No. 146,642 1 Claim. (Cl. 23551) This invention relates to an improvement in a which look the individual indicator mechanism voting machine, and particularly to means they supplant against operation. adapted to prevent use of any portion of the Other and further objects of the invention will machine not required in a given candidate set up. be more apparent from a consideration of the It frequently occurs in small communities, and on following specification taken in conjunction with occasion in larger communities, that an entire the accompanying drawing and in which voting machine is not required for use with a given Fig. l. is a fragmentary front elevation of a porcandidate set up. The unrequired indicators on tion of the face of a voting machine showing one the face of the machine are locked against manipmodification of the invention;

ulation or are disconnected from any active part F 2 is a p n View f he structure shown in 10 of the mechanism. Due to the fact that it is deg. 1; sirable for voters to indicate and record their Fig. 3 is a rear view of a portion of the structure ballots promptly, confusion has sometimes ocshown i Figures 1 and curred and resulted in voters casting improper or 4 is an enlarged erOSS sectional V w of the ll-invalid ballots because only certain of the indicamounting o an indicator, being ken substantors on the face of the machine were intended to iiially 0n the e of Figure be manipulated and certain others were either g. 5 is a perspective W of e of the canlocked against manipulation or were obviously date indicators; disconnected from the mechanism. In View of is a Perspective View Of a button p d go this objectionable set up, shields were provided to be substituted for a candidate indicator; for th purpose f concealing th unrequired i F'ig. '7 is a view of the structure which serves to dicators. These shields were intended to merely l k the indicators d buttons against r m v l, cover the indicators and little or no effort was being in position to p m t emoval or insertion made to lock them in place. It soon became of either indicator t and evident that shields were also objectionable, not 3 is a further View Of indicator looking 25 from the standpoint of confusion to the voter, but mechanism, being shown in locked p on. rather because unscrupulous or curious voters at- Referring to the w ng, e reference numeral tempted t pry t 115 and manipumte indies- In is employed to designate a portion of the front tors located therebeneath. In some instances it Plate 0f Voting machine embodying the i ven- ,is possible to secure one or more shields against iFiOn. Mounted on a Voting machine of s yp 30 unauthorized removal,but for the most part these are a number of horizontally p ed ballot shields are attached to a ballot label holder, and holders Directly bo each holder II is a therefore, at best, merely serve as a means of conhorizontal roW f a didate indicators l2.

cealing the indicators and are not intended to be spaced slightly from the plate Hi is a further proof against forced removal. plate l3. This plate is adapted to mount studs 35 The present invention is directed to a structure 14, Of which there is one fo each indicator l2. adapted to eliminate the objectionable features of The plate I3 is p v d d w suitable pen n s 15 exposed and shielded unrequired indicators through Which the Studs P j ct. Each stud through the use of candidate indicators that are is formed With an annular ead in the outer m b1 connected ith th mechanism of face of which is a slot l8. The stud is formed with which they form a part. Each indicator when a reduced diameter portion 19 which is threaded removed, leaves an opening in the face of the at its outer end to receive a nut 20, that may be machine that is closed by a small button. This held against displacement by a 1 k Washer 2|. button is locked in place and not only cannot be Thai; portion of e s ud 14 which lies in the 5 removed but also looks the particular indicator opening I5 f the plate 13 s f r ater diameter mechanism against movement, than the portion l9, and a shoulder 22 is thus One of the objects of the invention lies in the formed- Mounted on iJhe portion 19 and held in provision of voting machine indicators that are abutment With the shoulder 22 by the nut 20 is a removable from the face of the machine. U-shaped member 24 which is adapted to be con- Another object of the invention lies in the prone d W t te l ng S raps (not shown). The 50 vision of a voting machine equipped with removmember 24 (see Fig. 3) is formed with a lug 25 able indicators for which suitable buttons may be which lies adjacent the rear of the plate l3 and is substituted. adapted to be contacted by a primary bar 21.

Another object of the invention lies in the pro- The bar 21 is supported in any suitable manner,

56 vision of substitute buttons for removed indicators 'as by pins which are mounted on plate I3 and the voting machine mechanism.

project through slots in the bar. The bar may be as heretofore brought out, is connected with the laterally moved for the purpose of resetting the indicators.

' The front plate I0 is arranged with horizontal rows of keyhole openings 3U. These openings are so disposed that the narrow portion 3| thereof is in a horizontal position. Located adjacent the rear face of the plate it are looking bars 32. These bars are provided, one for each row of indicators. The bars are formed with several slots 33 through which pins 34 project. Formed in the bar is, a plurality of horizontally disposed keyhole openings 35. The narrow portion 36 of each of these openings is approximately twice the width of the corresponding portion 3! of the keyhole opening'in the plate It.

The indicator H, as clearly shown in Figures 2, i, and 5, consists of an arm 33 which is joined to or made integral with a stud 39. A finger piece Ml is secured to the free end of the arm 38. The stud 327 is formed with an annular shoulder 42 from which a reduced diameter portion 43 continues. In the portion 4-3 is an annular groove At the end of the portion 43 a lug it is fitted which, being longer than the diame ter of the portion extends therebeyond.

Figure 6 shows a replacement button 48, which is formed with an annular shoulder 69 and a reduced diameter portion 5t. Formedin the portion 5% is a groove at, the base wall of which has two diametrically opposite flat surfaces 52. At the end of the portion 5!] is a lug 53. It will be noted that, with the exception of the difference in size of the lug 53, the contour of the base wall 52 of the groove 5!, and the fact that there isno arm on the button, said button is substantially identical with the indicator i2. 7

Attention is now directed to the installation of an indicator on the machine and connection thereof with the voting mechanism. The locking bar 32 is moved laterally to cause the keyhole openings 35 therein to register with the keyhole opening 39 of the front plate ill. The lug 4-6 and portion t3 of the indicator may now be projected through the two keyhole openings 39 and 35 and the indicator rotated downwardly until the projecting edge of the lug fits into the slot l3 of the stud ii. The indicator is now connected with the arm 2t and the remainder of It will be noted that the lug 46 projects into a slot provided therefor in a straight ticket bar 55, which is mounted against the front face of the rear plate 13 and laterally movable due to provision of horizontal slots through which supporting pins project. The indicator now being in place, the locking bar 32 is moved laterally in the opposite direction and the side walls of, the reduced portion of the keyhole opening 35 move into the annular groove it. Thus'the indicator is prevented disengagement with the stud H, which indicator mechanism.

When candidate ballot strips have been inserted in the holders H and the interlocking mechanisms of the voting machine have been arranged for the desired voting set up, those indicators not required may be removed by simply releasing the looking bar 32, Withdrawing the indicators 12 from engagement with studs ll, rotating them so that the lugs 46 register with the keyhole openings 38 and 35 and completely removing them. For each indicator l2 that is removed a button 48 may be substituted.

This button is projected through the keyhole openings 30 and 35 and rotated so that the lug 53 thereof enters the slot ll! of the stud H. The locking bar is then adjusted and the side walls of the reduced portion 36 of the keyhole opening 35 engage opposite flat surfaces 52 of groove 55. the lug 53 engages stud l'l, no part of the. mechanism previously connected with the removed indicator can. deliberately or by accident be moved out of non-voting position.

It wili be understood that the locking bars 32 are concealed by the front plate ill of the voting machine and are not, therefore, accessible to the voter but must be adjusted at the time the voting machine is set up for a given election.

Thus, when a voter casts his ballot on a voting machine equipped with the structure above de scribed, he will find that there is an indicatorfor each candidate or question and the remain-- der of the machine will be without indicators. and in place thereof only the buttons 48 will be visible. Inasmuch as it'is impossible for a voter to either rotate or remove these buttons,.he has I no choice but to actuatethe indicators of the machine in their intended manner.

Although applicant has shown and described only one modification of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto annexed claim. 1 1 1 Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

In a voting machine, a front plate, said plate having an opening, a stud located to the rear of said plate and adjacent said opening, said stud being connected with an interlocking and registering mechanism of said machine, a butsaid button against rotation and disengagementfrom said stud.

1 ALVIN N. GUSTAVSON.

Thus, the plug cannot be rotated, and since 

